This invention relates to a method for coating and infusing nuts with a honey-sucrose solution to enhance their flavor and provide them with an appetizing appearance and, more particularly, for providing a roasted nut product with a transparent outer coating of a honey and sucrose mixture to produce a shiny, crisp product and infusing the nut with the mixture to sweeten its flavor and provide a crunchier texture.
Honey has been used as a coating for nuts. One such coating known in the art is in the form of a shell or crust over the nut. For example, U.S. Pat. No. 4,161,545 teaches the use of honey and water as a base coating. An additional coating of sugar and starch is added to the nuts to produce a rough, uneven outer layering effect on the nuts. It has been found that a crust or shell is formed over the nuts with this type of process which does not provide a shiny, transparent exterior with a crispy texture that many consumers desire. Further, this type of process does not allow the honey and sucrose to saturate or penetrate the nuts to enhance the flavor inside the nut and provide the interior with a crunchier texture.